U.S. patent number 6,375,517 [Application Number 09/628,307] was granted by the patent office on 2002-04-23 for joining connector system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Yazaki Corporation. Invention is credited to Toshiaki Okabe, Tetsuya Yamashita.
United States Patent |
6,375,517 |
Okabe , et al. |
April 23, 2002 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Joining connector system
Abstract
A joining connector system comprises: one connector having an
engaging piece protruded on a connector housing thereof; and
another connector having an engaging groove to which the engaging
piece fits and which is formed in a connector housing thereof, the
joining connector system being joined by sliding the engaging
groove and the engaging piece with each other in a sliding
direction. In such a structure, a protrusion having a shape tapered
toward the sliding direction is provided near an end portion in a
side in which a join of the joining connector is finished in the
sliding direction, in at least one of the engaging piece and the
engaging groove.
Inventors: |
Okabe; Toshiaki (Shizuoka-ken,
JP), Yamashita; Tetsuya (Shizuoka-ken,
JP) |
Assignee: |
Yazaki Corporation (Tokyo,
JP)
|
Family
ID: |
16704494 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/628,307 |
Filed: |
July 28, 2000 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 30, 1999 [JP] |
|
|
11-217454 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/701; 439/594;
439/717 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/514 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/514 (20060101); H01R 013/502 (); H01R 013/514 ();
H01R 013/40 (); H01R 009/22 () |
Field of
Search: |
;439/701,594,717 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
62-15774 |
|
Jan 1987 |
|
JP |
|
11-312547 |
|
Nov 1999 |
|
JP |
|
Primary Examiner: Bradley; P. Austin
Assistant Examiner: Leon; Edwin A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow,
Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A joining connector system, comprising:
a first connector, including a connector housing and an engaging
piece disposed on the housing;
a second connector, including a connector housing and an engaging
groove disposed on the housing for receiving the engaging piece,
wherein the engaging piece is received by the engaging groove by
sliding the engaging piece in the engaging groove in a sliding
direction; and
a protrusion disposed on at least one of the engaging piece and the
engaging groove wherein the protrusion is tapered in the sliding
direction such that as the engaging piece moves relative to the
engaging groove in the sliding direction, contact between the
protrusion and the other of the engaging piece and the engaging
groove elastically deforms the engaging piece and creates an
elastic force to attach the first connector to the second
connector.
2. A joining connector system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
second connector further comprises:
a plurality of engaging grooves disposed on the housing; and
a reference surface disposed on the housing between the plurality
of engaging grooves for positioning the first connector.
3. A joining connector system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
first connector further comprises:
a plurality of engaging pieces disposed on the housing; and
a reference surface disposed on the housing between the plurality
of engaging pieces for positioning the second connector.
4. A joining connector system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a
protrusion is disposed on both of the engaged pieces and the
engaging groove.
5. A joining connector system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the
protrusion has a length equal to or less than one third of a length
of the respective engaging piece or engaging groove on which it is
disposed.
6. A joining connector system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
engaging groove has an overhanging groove portion and the engaging
piece has a lip portion corresponding to the overhanging groove
portion.
7. A joining connector system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
protrusion is disposed on at least one of the lip portion and the
overhanging groove portion.
8. A joining connector system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the
lip piece of the engaging portion has a pair of lips.
9. A joining connector system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the
engaging groove correspondingly has a protruding portion between
the pair of lips in the lip portion of the engaging piece.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a joining connector system formed
in a pair by joining a plurality of connectors, and more
particularly to a joining connector system intending to improve an
assembly property by reducing an inserting force for combining the
connectors.
Conventionally, in order to improve a handling property of a
plurality of connectors, there is employed a joining connector
system for joining connectors to each other.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Laid-open Publication No. 62-15774
discloses a connector structure employing an engaging projection
and an engaging groove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a consideration of the inventors of the present
application, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plurality of terminal
receiving chambers 6 and 7 are formed in connector housings 4 and 5
of two connectors 2 and 3 joined to each other in the joining
connector system 1. Electric wires 10 and 11 from wire harnesses 8
and 9 are drawn into the terminal receiving chambers 6 and 7 in the
respective connectors, and connected to terminals (not shown)
within the terminal receiving chambers 6 and 7.
These connectors 2 and 3 are joined to each other by relatively
sliding the connector housings 4 and 5 in a direction of an arrow
D.
In order to perform the join mentioned above, a fitting groove 12
is formed on an outer wall in one side of the connector housing 4
of the connector 2, and a T-shaped fitting projection 13 fitting to
an engaging groove 12 is formed on an outer wall of the connector
housing 5 of the connector 3 corresponding to the fitting groove
12.
These fitting groove 12 and the fitting projection 13 extend along
a fitting direction of the connector housings 4 and 5, and can join
both of the connectors 2 and 3 as shown in FIG. 5 by fitting the
fitting projection 13 to the fitting groove 12 and sliding
them.
However, in the joining connector system 1 having the structure
mentioned above, a gap 14 is generated between the fitting groove
12 and the fitting projection 13 as shown in FIG. 6 due to a heat
contraction generated at a time of injection molding the connector
housings 4 and 5 and the other reasons, a play in directions shown
by arrows 16 and 17 is generated due to the gap 14, and the
connector housings 4 and 5 generate a relative positional shift due
to the play as shown by a broken line.
Since the connector housings 4 and 5 are shifted from a regular
position so as to generate a so-called pitch shift when the play
mentioned above is generated, the joining connector system 1 is
interfered with an opposing connector (not shown) at a time of
fitting the joining connector system 1 to the opposing connector
and becomes shaky so as to be hard to be fitted. In addition, there
is a case that the terminals within the terminal receiving chambers
6 and 7 can not be in contact with the terminals in the opposing
connector in a good state.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a
joining connector system which intends to improve an assembly
property by reducing an inserting force for combining connectors
and reducing a play generated between joined connector housings so
as to effectively prevent a pitch shift from generating.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a
joining connector system comprises: one connector having an
engaging piece protruded on a connector housing thereof; and
another connector having an engaging groove to which the engaging
piece fits and which is formed in a connector housing thereof, the
joining connector system being joined by sliding the engaging
groove and the engaging piece with each other in a sliding
direction. Further, in such a structure, a protrusion having a
shape tapered toward the sliding direction is provided near an end
portion in a side in which a join of the joining connector is
finished in the sliding direction, in at least one of the engaging
piece and the engaging groove.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing both connectors before join in
a joining connector system in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 2A is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along a line A--A
of a main portion of one connector shown in FIG. 1 and
FIG. 2B is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along a line B--B
of a main portion of another connector shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a main portion
showing a state that an engaging piece is fitted to an engaging
groove in the joining connector system in accordance with the
present embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a joining connector system before
engagement in accordance with a consideration of the inventors of
the present application;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an engaging state of the joining
connector system in accordance with a consideration of the
inventors; and
FIG. 6 is a plan view explaining considered points of the joining
connector system in accordance with a consideration of the
inventors.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A description will be in detail given below of an embodiment of a
joining connector system in accordance with the present invention
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
At first, a description will be given below of a structure of a
joining connector system C in accordance with the present
embodiment.
The joining connector system C in accordance with the present
embodiment is, as shown in FIG. 1, structured such that a first
connector 24 corresponding to one connector having engaging pieces
22 and 23 protruded on an outer wall 21a of a connector housing 21,
and a second connector 27 corresponding to another connector having
engaging grooves 25 and 29 to which the engaging pieces 22 and 23
are fitted being provided on an outer wall 26a of a connector
housing 26 are joined by sliding the engaging pieces 22 and 23
along the engaging grooves 25 and 29.
More particularly, the first connector 24 has, as shown in FIG. 1,
the box-shaped connector housing 21 made of an insulating resin
material.
A plurality of terminal receiving chambers 28 receiving terminals
(not shown) to which electric wire ends of wire harnesses are
connected are formed in the connector housing 21. In accordance
with the resent embodiment, the terminal receiving chambers 28 are,
for example, structured so as to be arranged in two stages in a
vertical direction to form two lines and four rows.
Two engaging pieces 22 and 23 respectively fitted to two engaging
grooves 25 and 29 formed in the second connector 27 are protruded
on the outer wall 21a of the first connector 24 joined to the
second connector 27.
The engaging pieces 22 and 23 have a pair of lips 30a, 30b and 31a,
31b formed in a V shape in a plan view, typically as shown in FIG.
3. These lips 30a, 30b and 31a, 31b are formed so as to vertically
extend along a height direction of the connector housing 21 from
the outer wall 21a, and free end portions thereof (front end
portions with respect to the outer wall 21a) can be bent and
changed within an elastic range.
A joining reference surface 32 to which the first connector 24 and
the second connector 27 are closely attached when these connectors
24 and 27 are joined is provided between a pair of engaging pieces
22 and 23. Another joining reference surface 34 corresponding to a
front end surface of a projection portion 33 protruding between a
pair of engaging grooves 25 and 29 formed in the second connector
27 is closely attached to the joining reference surface 32 due to a
surface contact.
Protrusions 35 for reducing an inserting force after a time when a
joining slide is started and before the join is finished, and
gradually increasing the inserting force immediately after the join
is finished so as to close attach both of the connectors 24 and 27,
when engaging and sliding the first connector 24 and the second
connector 27 as shown in FIG. 2B is formed in a pair of lips 30a,
30b and 31a, 31b. The protrusion 35 formed in one lip 30b is only
illustrated in FIG. 2B.
The protrusion 35 is formed as a projection tapered toward a
joining slide direction of both of the connectors 24 and 27 (an
upward direction of a height of the lip 30b in the case of the
first connector 24), and is provided near a joining end between
both connectors. In other words, the protrusion 35 mentioned above
is provided in such a manner that a width of a front end portion
35a of the protrusion 35 is narrowed toward an upper portion from a
base end portion of the lip 30b so as to extend in a height
direction as a short continuous projection. For example, a length
of the protrusion 35 is set to have a length equal to or less than
one third of the height of the lip 30b mentioned above.
On the contrary, the second connector 27 also has box-shaped
connector housing 26 made of an insulating resin material in the
same manner as the first connector 24, as shown in FIG. 1, and is
provided with a plurality of terminal receiving chambers 36 in the
connector housing 26. Then, the engaging grooves 25 and 29 to which
the respective engaging pieces 22 and 23 are fitted are provided on
an outer wall 26a of the second connector 27.
These engaging grooves 25 and 29 are formed so as to form a groove
continuing from an upper end to a lower end along the height
direction of the second connector 27, and are structured such that
the lips 30a, 30b and 31a, 31b of the engaging pieces 22 and 23 are
inserted into the engaging grooves 25 and 29 so as to be fitted
thereto by a slide operation. Surrounding portions 38 and 39 for
covering the lips 30a, 30b and 31a, 31b are provided in both sides
of the engaging grooves 25 and 29 in such a manner as to overhang
with respect to the engaging grooves 25 and 29.
The surrounding portions 38 and 39 are brought into contact with
the lips 30a, 30b and 31a, 31b inserted and slid to the engaging
grooves 25 and 29 so as to function to prevent the lips 30a, 30b
and 31a, 31b from falling out from the engaging grooves 25 and
29.
Further, a protrusion 40 having the same function as that of the
protrusion 35 formed in the first connector 24 mentioned above is
formed on inner wall surfaces of the surrounding portions 38 and
39. Only the protrusion 40 formed on the inner wall surface of one
surrounding portion 39 is illustrated in FIG. 2A.
The protrusion 40 is, as shown in FIG. 2A, formed as a projection
tapered toward a joining slide direction of both of the connectors
24 and 27 (a lower direction of a height of the surrounding portion
39), and is provided near a joining end between both connectors. In
other words, the protrusion 40 is provided in such a manner that a
width of a front end portion 40a of the protrusion 40 is narrowed
toward a lower portion from an upper end portion of the surrounding
portion 39 so as to extend in a height direction as a short
continuous projection. For example, a length of the protrusion 40
is set to have a length equal to or less than one third of the
height of the surrounding portion 39 mentioned above.
In this case, substantially in a center portion of one engaging
groove 25, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a projection portion 37 is
formed between the lip portions 30a and 30b from an upper end to a
lower end along the height direction of the second connector
27.
In order to assemble the first connector 24 and the second
connector 27 structured in the manner mentioned above so as to
finish the joining connector system C, the following operations are
performed.
At first, the engaging pieces 22 and 23 of the first connector 24
and the engaging grooves 25 and 29 of the second connector 27 are
respectively opposed to each other, both of the connectors 24 and
27 are arranged so that the protrusions 35 and 40 are not brought
into contact with each other and are apart from each other, and the
engaging pieces 22 and 23 are inserted to the engaging grooves 25
and 29 from a position that the protrusions 35 and 40 are apart
from each other and slid.
Then, after an insertion of both the connectors 24 and 27 is
started and immediately before the join is finished, the first
connector 24 and the second connector 27 are being joined to each
other due to a comparative weak insertion force.
When both of the connectors 24 and 27 becomes immediately before
the completion of the join, that is, the protrusions 35 and 40
provided in the lips 30a, 30b, 31a and 31b and the engaging grooves
25 and 29 start being brought into contact with the respective
corresponding lips 30a, 30b, 31a and 31b or the engaging grooves 25
and 29, the lips 30a, 30b, 31a and 31b is bent within an elastic
range, and both of the connectors 24 and 27 are aligned with each
other.
At this time, since the front ends of the protrusions 35 and 40 are
tapered toward the joining slide direction, a combination insertion
force is gradually increased.
As a result, the joining reference surface 32 of the first
connector 24 and the joining reference surface 34 of the second
connector 27 are surface contact so as to be closely attached.
When the join between the first connector 24 and the second
connector 27 is finished, both of the connectors 24 and 27 are
closely attached to each other due to an operation of the
protrusions 35 and 40 by an elastic force generated by an elastic
displacement of the lips 30a, 30b, 31a and 31b, thereby being
joined without generating a positional shift.
Therefore, in accordance with the joining connector system C
mentioned above, since the protrusions 35 and 40 are not in contact
with the lips 30a, 30b , 31a and 31b or the engaging grooves 25 and
29 after the join between both of the connectors 24 and 27 is
started immediately before the join is finished, a small
combination insertion force is sufficient, and since the
protrusions 35 and 40 start being in contact with the lips 30a,
30b, 31a and 31b or the engaging grooves 25 and 29 immediately
after the join, the combination insertion force is increased.
As mentioned above, since the small combination insertion force is
sufficient immediately before the join is finished and the
combination insertion force is gradually increased immediately
after the join, it is possible to make an assembling operability of
both of the connectors 24 and 27 easy and it is possible to widely
improve a productivity. Further, it is possible to effectively
prevent a pitch shift between both of the connectors by removing a
play between the joined connector housings.
In this case, a description is given of the particular present
embodiment to which the present invention is applied, as mentioned
above, however, the present invention is not limited to the
embodiments mentioned above and various modifications of the
present invention can be obtained.
For example, in the present embodiment, the protrusions 35 and 40
are provided in both of the lips 30a, 30b, 31a and 31b and the
engaging grooves 25 and 29, however, the same effects can be
obtained if the protrusions 35 and 40 are provided in any one of
the lips 30a, 30b, 31a and 31b and the engaging grooves 25 and
29.
Further, the protrusion 35 may be provided only in the lips 30a,
30b, 31a and 31b and the protrusion 40 may be provided only in the
engaging grooves 25 and 29 in the same manner.
In addition, the present invention can be realized by variously
modifying the present invention within the technical scope of the
present invention.
* * * * *